25 Best New Restaurants in Fort Worth

Celestina Blok

The past 18 months have resulted in an onslaught of new restaurant openings in Fort Worth, some of which have already come and gone. Experienced restaurateurs will tell you an eatery must combine spot-on service with an ideal location, fair price points and, of course, tasty cuisine in order to have just a shot at survival. Competition remains fierce, and as the choices keep on coming, it can be difficult for diners to decide on the next dinner out. In between your regular steakhouse visits and loyal stops for barbecue, chicken fried steak and Tex-Mex, make sure you haven’t missed the best of the new best places to eat – 25 of which are listed here.

| photography by Jason Kindig & Truitt Rogers |

Little Red Wasp808 Main St., Fort Worth, Texas 76102, 817.877.3111, Litteredwasp.com
With the success of Grace, the first dining establishment from restaurateur Adam Jones (named for his wife Caroline Grace), Little Red Wasp opened this fall just one block away with much buzz. Consider the laid-back lunch, dinner and late-night dining dive, titled for Caroline’s childhood nickname, as Grace’s lighthearted little sister, featuring a festive menu of “knife + fork sandwiches,” including a giant chili dog, and one of the best Reuben sandwiches on rye we’ve ever tasted. Fancier daily features include Texas-raised New York strip, local Windy Meadows chicken served over cous cous, and the Arctic char.

Enchiladas Ole • 901 N. Sylvania Ave., Fort Worth, Texas 76111, 817.984.1360, Enchiladasole.comMary Perez launched her line of vibrant, preservative-free enchilada sauces two years ago, but when customers asked her (over and over again) why she hadn’t opened a restaurant, she knew there was opportunity to expand her brand. Now her sunshine-filled, brightly-painted Riverside eatery, which opened this spring, is bustling with regulars from all over Fort Worth, each there to indulge in her plump, cumin and garlic-infused enchiladas. Our favorite? The emoladas - smoked chicken enchiladas smothered in Perez’s ancho chile-based, sesame oil-infused mole sauce. The friendly staff, quality ingredients and Mary’s constant smile provide for a refreshing take on Tex-Mex.

Rodeo Goat2836 Bledsoe St., Fort Worth, Texas 76107, 817.877.4628, Rodeogoat.com
Daring to open just steps from Fred’s Texas Café late last year, “the Goat,” which comes from the same folks who brought us Flying Saucer and Sundance Square’s upcoming new Bird Café, quickly gained fame for taking burgers to new heights with house-ground beef and tricked-out toppings. There’s brisket chili and corn chips on the Terlingua, bourbon-candied bacon and blackberry compote on the whiskey burger, and chorizo, queso fresco and a fried egg on the popular caca Oaxaca. Look for rotating chef specials that compete for customer votes to earn a spot on the menu.

Sera Dining and Wine• 2418 Forest Park Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76110, 817.927.7372
Sadness swept across the Berkeley neighborhood when Sapristi! closed in May, but Sera, meaning “it will be,” brought familiar Sapristi! faces back to the Forest Park Blvd. space, including former general manager John Marsh and former Sapristi! sous chef Brandon Hudson, who left Smoke in Dallas to lead the Sera kitchen. Gather a group of adventurous friends, ask for the wine list, and prepare to share small, luxurious plates of French and Spanish-inspired dishes like pig ear frites, lamb sweetbreads, white anchovies and slow-cooked suckling pig.

Pacific Table • 1600 S. University Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76107, 817.887.9995, Pacifictableftworth.com
Waters wasn’t the only high-profile seafood concept to open this year. Felipe Armenta, who’s also responsible for the good food at The Tavern, breathed new life into a vacant corner of University Park Village with the opening of Pacific Table, his illustrious, California cool-inspired seafood and sushi spot. From plump oyster po’ boys served with rosemary fries to perfectly seared scallops, drizzled with pecan vinaigrette and plated atop curly kale, the menu shines with sumptuous options.